Rail-fastener.



A. BBLKNAP. A RAIL FASTBNER.

APPLICATION FILED 001231., 1912.

Patented Mar. 4, 1913.

WLM/iii?,

, UNITED STATESl PATENT OFFICE.

- GARDNER A. BELXNAP,'0F (JONNATPlV'ILlZl-E,v YENNSYLVANIA.

MIL-FASTENEB..

Speolostioa o! Lettera liatent.

Application tiled October 81., 1912. Serial No. 728,858.

To allee/tom. it may concern.' V l Be it known that I, GAaoNEa A; BELKNAP, a citizen of the 'United States, residing at Conneautvilie, 'in the county 'of Crawford and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Fasteners, of which the following 1s a specification.

This invention relates to rail fasteners and particularly to a rail fastener to be used in connection with a metallic tie.

The object of the invention is to provide a novel device of this character w lich will hold a rail positively in place without danger of twisting or loosenmg the device.

An important object is to provide a rail fastener which permits of lateral adjustment of the rails for taking u i wear.

Another object is to rovi e a device of this character which will be simple incitpensive to manufacture, and durable 1n service.

Wit-h these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the novel arrangement and construction of parts as hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings forming of this specification and in which ike numerals are employed to designate correspondinfr parts throughout the several views, l* igure l is a top plan view of a tie showing one rail securely locked in place and one rail removed, Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section therethrough, Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the clampin late, and li 4 is an enlarged view o t e locking we ge.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral l desi nates a tie formed of metal which is provi ed with openings 2 tout. or stamped therefrom in such a manner as to form depending lugs 3. The rails 4 are disposed between the openings 2 and are held in place by clamping members designated as a whole by the numeral 5.

The clamping members 5 comprise a plate 6 adapted to seat upon the tie 1 and provided with a cut out portion 7 upon one end for engagement with the tread of the rail. The plate 6 is provided with a out out portion 8 and has formed upon its lower side a downwardly extendin lug 9 terminating in a forwardly exten ing projection 10. The clamping member 5 is inserted within the opening 2 and is moved into engagement with the tread of the rail. The extension l0 a partwill then ycontact with the lower side of the to wall of the ygtie, thus preventing its withdrawal from the openin The` opening 8 in theplate 6 will then e in registration with the o enin 2.

ln order to ook t e clamping member 5 securely in engagement with the rail, I provide a locking wedge 11 rovided with a head 12 and further provided with teeth 13 upon two of its opposite sides, the teeth on one side being in staggered relation to the teeth on the other side. It will be noted that the rear face 14 of the lug 9 is slightly inclined and that the lug 3 has its face inclined. Both of these inclined surfaces converge downwardly and form a seat for the locking wedge 1l. After the wedge has been inserted it is driven in until the clamping member 5 is forced into tight engagement with the rail. As the wedge 11 is formed of some very hard material, the teeth 13 would bite into the material of the lu 8 and the lug 9, thus preventin the aeci ental displacement of the we ge. If, however, it is desired to withdraw the wedge, this may be done by applying considerable force to the head 12.

When in time the inner edge of the ball of the rail becomes worn the wear may be taken u by moving the rails toward each other. 1l`his may readily be done by withdrawing the inner locking wedges and forcin in the outer locking wedges until the rail is moved the desired distance, after which the inner locking wedges may be reinserted and forced in to clamp the rail.

Having thus described my invention what I claim 1s:

1. The combination with a rail, of a tie upon which said rail is mounted, said tie being provided in its upper wall with openings upon the opposite sldes of said rail and further )rovided with a downwardly extending ug adjacent the edge of each opening farthest from the rail, means for securing said rail upon said tie, each of said means comprising a securing plate rovided with a cut out portion upon itsen for engagement with the base of the rail and further provided with a depending lug slidable in said opening, each of said depending lugs terminating in a forwardly extending projection ada ted to engage the under slde of the top Wal of the tie, each of said securing plates being further provided with a slot in its end most remote from the rail, said slot BEST AVAILABLE coef being in registration withone of said openings m snid tie, and locking wedges adapted to engnge said first and'lastnnmed lugs-,said lookin wedges being rovided with teeth upon t ieir enfvnging si es.

2. The combination with u ruil, of u tie upon which mid rail is mounted, said tie being )rorided in its up er wall with openings n( jncent the bnse o said ruil and upon opposite sides thereof, said tie being provi ed with n depending lng adjacent the edge of euch opening most remote from the rml, snid lugs bein inclined toward said rnl, rnenns for securing said rnil to said tie, cnch of snid menns comprising u pluto sented on Suid tie und provided with n cnt ont portion upon one end for engagement with tbe buse oi the rnil nnd further provided with n `slot upon its other end in registrntion with Suid opening in snid tie, n dependingT lng formed on snld plate und extending tbrough snid opening m said tie, n

forwardly extending projection formed on said lug ndnpted to engage the lower side of the top wnll of the tie, the rear fnce of Suid lug being rearwardly inclined, und locking wedges adapt-ed to engage the first and lnst named lugs, said wedges being provided with teeth upon their engaging sides.

3. In a device of the chnrncter described. comprising clumpinfr members slidnble upon the tie und adapted for engagement with the rail2 locking wedgesudnpted for engagement wlth snid clnlnpin members und snid tie, said locking wed esi teeth upon two of t ieir opposite sides, the teeth on one side being in stnggered relu tion to the teeth on the other side.

ln testimonv whereof I hereto ntlix m lsignntnre in tie presence ot' two witnesses.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for iive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

eing provided with I 

